Dell XPS 8500 Desktop

Do you get video on bootup that disappears as Windows starts?

If you have a Windows disc, I'd suggest performing a clean install with a reformat. I've worked several contracts at a Fortune 500 giant, and every time a contractor is issued a new machine, Dell or otherwise, they are instructed to do just that using a generic retail copy of Windows.

Hi RebecCohen,

Welcome to the Dell Community,

In response to your post, I guess you want to do a PC restore which will take your computer to the factory settings. PC restore will delete all your  data on the computer and reimage the entire operating system to factory defaults.

The link below gives the instructions for the PC restore.

support.dell.com/.../document

If  you let me know the exact problem you are facing.  It would be more helpful for me to guide you  the right way.

Please reply if you need any further help.

Thanks & Regards

DELL-Hemanth_K_K

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Hello,

I followed your directions and went to the link to restore to factory settings. I am told to press F8 when computer restarts and after dell logo disappears. It is not going to the Advanced Boot Options and instead proceeds to restart no matter what I do.

Do you have any other suggestions.

I really want to get the problems remedied asap.

Thanks so much.

Rebecca

I did finally get the computer to go to Advanced Reboot. Although the wording on the options following prompts wasn't quite the same, I am hopeful this will work now. I will update in awhile when restore has completed.

Thank you.

Rebecca

Hi, I purchased a Dell XPS 8500 from someone that wasn't even out of the box.

Pardon me for butting in, but something isn't quite right here.

If it "wasn't even out of the box", the hard drive should still be exactly the way Dell shipped it. So I don't know what a PC Restore is going to change or fix.

If you "can't see video", are you connecting the monitor to the right video port? The on-board VGA port is turned off by default in this model because there's an add-in video card with digital outputs (DVI, and either DisplayPort and/or HDMI). If your monitor only uses VGA, there are ways to make it work, but you'll need an inexpensive adaptor for the DVI port.

If your monitor has both DVI and VGA input ports, you'll get a better signal using the DVI port, but you'll need a DVI cable.

Am I missing something here ?  :emotion-7:

I have completed the restore and seems to be working now. Thanks for help!

Rebecca

Hello,

I did do a system restore. And to answer one question of the computer just being out of the box and shouldn't need to be restored. I did add some software to it already before the restore.

I did a restore and I have added the needed software I use back on again and the computer is freezing up. As a last resort I decided once again to do a system restore and only add one piece of software at a time to see what the issue might be so can hopefully avert this happening again. I can't even use the computer the way it is.

In attempting the restore the computer is locked up at the 2nd prompt in System Recovery Options.

If someone has a suggestion besides the system restore to original factory settings to do this or how to get it done since it's locking up when not far into the process, I'd be so grateful.

Thanks,

Rebecca

Hi Rebecca,

Thank you for replying, I really appreciate your effort in fixing the problem. But the PC restore can be done only once. If you are still facing the Freezing problem may be that is because of the application you are installing. It’s good that you are trying to check which application is causing the problem in addition to it you can try a complete hardware diagnostics just to make sure that your hardware that is your hard drive and memory are functioning well and also please check that you have enough memory that support the application that you are installing.

Instruction to do Diagnostics

support.dell.com/.../document

please do reply incase if you need any further help.

In response to amount of memory. I have 1 T and even with installing any software, keeping an eye on memory usage, I barely put a dent in using any of it.

I restarted the computer and  I am doing a hardware diagnostics now. I have made it through the fist part of diagnostics and no errors were found. I went ahead and told the computer to do the remaining memory tests which takes about 30 minutes. I did this last time when freezing of computer started and no errors were found then either. Sigh

Something does not seem right on all this. I used the computer fine at first and now to experience this issues is mind boggling to me.

Rebecca

Hi Rebecca,

Thank you for replying,

I would suggest to uncheck all the startup items and restart the computer and see if it’s still freezing..

Instruction to disable the startup items:

Click on start and type in “msconfig” and press enter and select the “Startup” tab and click on “Disable all “at the bottom and then restart the computer

.

Please reply if you need any further help.